Boilers: 27 Bureau of Energy Efficiency

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2. BOILERS
Syllabus
Boilers: Types, Combustion in boilers, Performances evaluation, Analysis of losses, Feed
water treatment, Blow down, Energy conservation opportunities.
2.1 Introduction
A boiler is an enclosed vessel that provides a means for combustion heat to be transferred into
water until it becomes heated water or steam. The hot water or steam under pressure is then
usable for transferring the heat to a process. Water is a useful and cheap medium for
transferring heat to a process. When water is boiled into steam its volume increases about 1,600
times, producing a force that is almost as explosive as gunpowder. This causes the boiler to be
extremely dangerous equipment that must be treated with utmost care.
The process of heating a liquid until it reaches its gaseous state is called evaporation. Heat
is transferred from one body to another by means of (1) radiation, which is the transfer of heat
from a hot body to a cold body without a conveying medium, (2) convection, the transfer of
heat by a conveying medium, such as air or water and (3) conduction, transfer of heat by actual
physical contact, molecule to molecule.
Boiler Specification
The heating surface is any Typical Boiler Specification
part of the boiler metal
that has hot gases of com- Boiler Make & Year : XYZ & 2003
bustion on one side and MCR(Maximum Continuous Rating) : 10TPH (F & A 100°C)
water on the other. Any
Rated Working Pressure : 10.54 kg/cm2(g)
part of the boiler metal
that actually contributes Type of Boiler : 3 Pass Fire tube
to making steam is heat- Fuel Fired : Fuel Oil
ing surface. The amount
of heating surface of a
boiler is expressed in square meters. The larger the heating surface a boiler has, the more
efficient it becomes. The quantity of the steam produced is indicated in tons of water evap-
orated to steam per hour. Maximum continuous rating is the hourly evaporation that can be
maintained for 24 hours. F & A means the amount of steam generated from water at 100 °C
to saturated steam at 100 °C.
Indian Boiler Regulation

The Indian Boilers Act was enacted to consolidate and amend the law relating to steam boilers.
Indian Boilers Regulation (IBR) was created in exercise of the powers conferred by section 28
& 29 of the Indian Boilers Act.
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IBR Steam Boilers means any closed vessel exceeding 22.75 liters in capacity and which is
used expressively for generating steam under pressure and includes any mounting or other
fitting attached to such vessel, which is wholly, or partly under pressure when the steam is shut
off.
IBR Steam Pipe means any pipe through which steam passes from a boiler to a prime mover
or other user or both, if pressure at which steam passes through such pipes exceeds 3.5 kg/cm2
above atmospheric pressure or such pipe exceeds 254 mm in internal diameter and includes in
either case any connected fitting of a steam pipe.
2.2 Boiler Systems

The boiler system comprises of: feed water system, steam system and fuel system. The feed
water system provides water to the boiler and regulates it automatically to meet the steam
demand. Various valves provide access for maintenance and repair. The steam system collects
and controls the steam produced in the boiler. Steam is directed through a piping system to the
point of use. Throughout the system, steam pressure is regulated using valves and checked with
steam pressure gauges. The fuel system includes all equipment used to provide fuel to gener-
ate the necessary heat. The equipment required in the fuel system depends on the type of fuel
used in the system. A typical boiler room schematic is shown in Figure 2.1.
Figure 2.1 Boiler Room Schematic
The water supplied to the boiler that is converted into steam is called feed water. The two
sources of feed water are: (1) Condensate or condensed steam returned from the processes and
(2) Makeup water (treated raw water) which must come from outside the boiler room and plant
processes. For higher boiler efficiencies, the feed water is preheated by economizer, using the
waste heat in the flue gas.

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2.3 Boiler Types and Classifications

There are virtually infinite numbers of boiler designs but generally they fit into one of two cat-
egories:
Fire tube or “fire in tube” boilers;
contain long steel tubes through
which the hot gasses from a
furnace pass and around which the
water to be converted to steam cir-
culates. (Refer Figure 2.2). Fire
tube boilers, typically have a lower
initial cost, are more fuel efficient
and easier to operate, but they are
limited generally to capacities of
25 tons/hr and pressures of
17.5 kg/cm2. Figure 2.2 Fire Tube Boiler
Water tube or “water in tube” boilers in which

the conditions are reversed with the water passing
through the tubes and the hot gasses passing outside
the tubes (see figure 2.3). These boilers can be of
single- or multiple-drum type. These boilers can be
built to any steam capacities and pressures, and have
higher efficiencies than fire tube boilers.
Figure 2.3 Water Tube Boiler
Packaged Boiler: The packaged boiler is so

called because it comes as a complete package.
Once delivered to site, it requires only the steam,
water pipe work, fuel supply and electrical
connections to be made for it to become
operational. Package boilers are generally of
shell type with fire tube design so as to achieve
high heat transfer rates by both radiation and
convection (Refer Figure 2.4).
Figure 2.4 Packaged Boiler

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The features of package boilers are:

Small combustion space and high heat release rate resulting in faster evaporation.
Large number of small diameter tubes leading to good convective heat transfer.
Forced or induced draft systems resulting in good combustion efficiency.
Number of passes resulting in better overall heat transfer.
Higher thermal efficiency levels compared with other boilers.
These boilers are classified based on the number of passes – the number of times the hot
combustion gases pass through the boiler. The combustion chamber is taken, as the first pass
after which there may be one, two or three sets of fire-tubes. The most common boiler of this
class is a three-pass unit with two sets of fire-tubes and with the exhaust gases exiting through
the rear of the boiler.
Stoker Fired Boiler:

Stokers are classified according to the method of feeding fuel to the furnace and by the type of
grate. The main classifications are:
1. Chain-grate or traveling-grate stoker
2. Spreader stoker
Chain-Grate or Traveling-Grate Stoker Boiler

Coal is fed onto one end of a moving steel chain grate. As grate moves along the length of the
furnace, the coal burns before dropping off at the end as ash. Some degree of skill is required,
particularly when setting up the grate, air dampers and baffles, to ensure clean combustion
leaving minimum of unburnt carbon in the ash.
Figure 2.5 Chain Grate Stoker

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The coal-feed hopper runs along the entire coal-feed end of the furnace. A coal grate is used
to control the rate at which coal is fed into the furnace, and to control the thickness of the coal
bed and speed of the grate. Coal must be uniform in size, as large lumps will not burn out com-
pletely by the time they reach the end of the grate. As the bed thickness decreases from coal-
feed end to rear end, different amounts of air are required- more quantity at coal-feed end and
less at rear end (see Figure 2.5).
Spreader Stoker Boiler

Spreader stokers (see figure 2.6) utilize a combination of suspension burning and grate burning.
The coal is continually fed into the furnace above a burning bed of coal. The coal fines are
burned in suspension; the larger particles fall to the grate, where they are burned in a thin, fast-
burning coal bed. This method of firing provides good flexibility to meet load fluctuations,
since ignition is almost instantaneous when firing rate is increased. Hence, the spreader stoker
is favored over other types of stokers in many industrial applications.
Figure 2.6 Spreader Stoker

Pulverized Fuel Boiler
Most coal-fired power station boilers use pulverized coal, and many of the larger industrial
water-tube boilers also use this pulverized fuel. This technology is well developed, and there
are thousands of units around the world, accounting for well over 90% of coal-fired capacity.
The coal is ground (pulverised) to a fine powder, so that less than 2% is +300 micro metre
(µm) and 70-75% is below 75 microns, for a bituminous coal. It should be noted that too fine
a powder is wasteful of grinding mill power. On the other hand, too coarse a powder does not
burn completely in the combustion chamber and results in higher unburnt losses.
The pulverised coal is blown with part of the combustion air into the boiler plant through a
series of burner nozzles. Secondary and tertiary air may also be added. Combustion takes place

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at temperatures from 1300-1700°C,

depending largely on coal grade.
Particle residence time in the boiler is
typically 2 to 5 seconds, and the
particles must be small enough for
complete combustion to have taken
place during this time.
This system has many advantages
such as ability to fire varying quality
of coal, quick responses to changes in
load, use of high pre-heat air tempera-
tures etc.
One of the most popular systems
for firing pulverized coal is the tangen-
tial firing using four burners corner to
corner to create a fireball at the center
Figure 2.7 Tangential Firing
of the furnace (see Figure 2.7).
FBC Boiler
When an evenly distributed air
or gas is passed upward
through a finely divided bed of
solid particles such as sand
supported on a fine mesh, the
particles are undisturbed at low
velocity. As air velocity is
gradually increased, a stage is
reached when the individual
particles are suspended in the
air stream. Further, increase in
velocity gives rise to bubble
formation, vigorous turbulence
and rapid mixing and the bed is
said to be fluidized.
If the sand in a fluidized
state is heated to the ignition
temperature of the coal and the
coal is injected continuously in
to the bed, the coal will burn
rapidly, and the bed attains a
uniform temperature due to
Figure 2.8 Fluidised Bed Combustion
effective mixing. Proper air dis-
tribution is vital for maintaining uniform fluidisation across the bed.). Ash is disposed by dry
and wet ash disposal systems.

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Fluidised bed combustion has significant advantages over conventional firing systems and
offers multiple benefits namely fuel flexibility, reduced emission of noxious pollutants such as
SOx and NOx, compact boiler design and higher combustion efficiency. More details about
FBC boilers are given in Chapter 6 on Fluidized Bed Boiler.
2.4 Performance Evaluation of Boilers

The performance parameters of boiler, like efficiency and evaporation ratio reduces with time
due to poor combustion, heat transfer surface fouling and poor operation and maintenance.
Even for a new boiler, reasons such as deteriorating fuel quality, water quality etc. can result in
poor boiler performance. Boiler efficiency tests help us to find out the deviation of boiler
efficiency from the best efficiency and target problem area for corrective action.
Boiler Efficiency
Thermal efficiency of boiler is defined as the percentage of heat input that is effectively utilised
to generate steam. There are two methods of assessing boiler efficiency.
1) The Direct Method: Where the energy gain of the working fluid (water and steam) is
compared with the energy content of the boiler fuel.
2) The Indirect Method: Where the efficiency is the difference between the losses and the
energy input.
Boiler Efficiency Evaluation
Direct Method Indirect Method
a. Direct Method
This is also known as ‘input-output method’ due to the fact that it needs only the useful output
(steam) and the heat input (i.e. fuel) for evaluating the efficiency. This efficiency can be evalu-
ated using the formula
Heat Output
Boiler Efficiency = × 100
Heat Input
Parameters to be monitored for the calculation of boiler efficiency by direct method are :
• Quantity of steam generated per hour (Q) in kg/hr.
• Quantity of fuel used per hour (q) in kg/hr.
• The working pressure (in kg/cm2(g)) and superheat temperature (°C), if any
• The temperature of feed water (°C)
• Type of fuel and gross calorific value of the fuel (GCV) in kCal/kg of fuel

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Q x (h g − h f )
Boiler Efficiency ( η) = × 100
q × GCV
Where, hg – Enthalpy of saturated steam in kCal/kg of steam

hf – Enthalpy of feed water in kCal/kg of water
Example
Find out the efficiency of the boiler by direct method with the data given below:
– Type of boiler : Coal fired
– Quantity of steam (dry) generated : 8 TPH
– Steam pressure (gauge) / temp : 10 kg/cm2(g)/ 180°C
– Quantity of coal consumed : 1.8 TPH
– Feed water temperature : 85°C
– GCV of coal : 3200 kCal/kg
2
– Enthalpy of steam at 10 kg/cm pressure : 665 kCal/kg (saturated)
– Enthalpy of feed water : 85 kCal/kg
8 × (665 − 85) ×1000

Boiler Efficiency ( η) = × 100 =80%
1.8 × 3200 ×1000
It should be noted that boiler may not generate 100% saturated dry steam, and there may be
some amount of wetness in the steam.
Advantages of direct method:
Plant people can evaluate quickly the efficiency of boilers

Requires few parameters for computation
Needs few instruments for monitoring
Disadvantages of direct method:
Does not give clues to the operator as to why efficiency of system is lower
Does not calculate various losses accountable for various efficiency levels
b. Indirect Method
There are reference standards for Boiler Testing at Site using indirect method namely British
Standard, BS 845: 1987 and USA Standard is ASME PTC-4-1 Power Test Code Steam
Generating Units’.
Indirect method is also called as heat loss method. The efficiency can be arrived at, by
subtracting the heat loss fractions from 100. The standards do not include blow down loss in the
efficiency determination process. A detailed procedure for calculating boiler efficiency by indi-

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rect method is given below. However, it may be noted that the practicing energy mangers in
industries prefer simpler calculation procedures.
The principle losses that occur in a boiler are:
• Loss of heat due to dry fluegas
• Loss of heat due to moisture in fuel and combustion air
• Loss of heat due to combustion of hydrogen
• Loss of heat due to radiation
• Loss of heat due to unburnt
In the above, loss due to moisture in fuel and the loss due to combustion of hydrogen are
dependent on the fuel, and cannot be controlled by design.
The data required for calculation of boiler efficiency using indirect method are:
• Ultimate analysis of fuel (H2, O2, S, C, moisture content, ash content)
• Percentage of Oxygen or CO2 in the flue gas
• Flue gas temperature in °C (Tf)
• Ambient temperature in °C (Ta) & humidity of air in kg/kg of dry air
• GCV of fuel in kCal/kg
• Percentage combustible in ash (in case of solid fuels)
• GCV of ash in kCal/kg (in case of solid fuels)
Solution :
Theoretical air requirement

=[(11.6 × C) + {34.8 × (H2 – O2/8)} + (4.35 × S)]/100 kg/kg of fuel
O2 %
Excess Air supplied (EA) = × 100
21 − O 2 %
Actual mass of air supplied/ kg of fuel (AAS) = {1 + EA/100} × theoretical air

m × Cp × (Tf – Ta ) × 100
i. Percentage heat loss due to dry flue gas =
GCV of fuel
m = mass of dry flue gas in kg/kg of fuel
m = Combustion products from fuel: CO2 + SO2 + Nitrogen in fuel + Nitrogen in the actual
mass of air supplied + O2 in flue gas. (H2O/Water vapour in the flue gas should not be
considered)
Cp = Specific heat of flue gas (0.23 kCal/kg °C)
ii. Percentage heat loss due to evaporation of water formed due to H2 in fuel
9 × H 2 × {584 + C p (T f -T a )}
= × 100
GCV of fuel

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Where, H2 - kg of H2 in 1 kg of fuel
Cp - Specific heat of superheated steam (0.45 kCal/kg °C)
iii. Percentage heat loss due to evaporation of moisture present in fuel

M x {584 + C p (T f -T a )}
= x 100
GCV of fuel
Where, M – kg of moisture in 1kg of fuel

Cp – Specific heat of superheated steam (0.45 kCal/kg)°C
584 is the latent heat corresponding to the partial pressure of water vapour.
iv. Percentage heat loss due to moisture present in air

AAS × humidity factor × C p x (T f -T a )
= × 100
GCV of fuel
Cp – Specific heat of superheated steam (0.45 kCal/kg °C)
v. Percentage heat loss due to unburnt in fly ash

Total ash collected / kg of fuel burnt × G.C.V of fly ash
= × 100
GCV of fuel
vi. Percentage heat loss due to unburnt in bottom ash
Total ash collected / kg of fuel burnt × G.C.V of bottom ash

= × 100
GCV of fuel
vii. Percentage heat loss due to radiation and other unaccounted loss
The actual radiation and convection losses are difficult to assess because of particular
emissivity of various surfaces, its inclination, air flow pattern etc. In a relatively small boiler,
with a capacity of 10 MW, the radiation and unaccounted losses could amount to between 1%
and 2% of the gross calorific value of the fuel, while in a 500 MW boiler, values between 0.2%
to 1% are typical. The loss may be assumed appropriately depending on the surface condition.
Efficiency of boiler (η) = 100 - (i + ii + iii + iv + v + vi + vii)
Example: The following are the data collected for a typical oil fired boiler. Find out the effi-
ciency of the boiler by indirect method and Boiler Evaporation ratio.
• Type of boiler : Oil fired

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• Ultimate analysis of Oil

C : 84.0 % H2 : 12.0 %
S : 3.0 % O2 : 1.0 %
• GCV of Oil : 10200 kCal/kg
• Steam Generation Pressure : 7kg/cm2(g)-saturated
• Enthalpy of steam : 660 kCal/kg
• Feed water temperature : 60 °C
• Percentage of Oxygen in flue gas :7
• Percentage of CO2 in flue gas : 11
• Flue gas temperature (Tf) : 220 °C
• Ambient temperature (Ta) : 27 °C
• Humidity of air : 0.018 kg/kg of dry air
Solution
Step-1: Find the theoretical air requirement
= [(11.6 × C) + {34.8 × ( H 2 − O2 / 8)} +(4.35 × S)] /100 kg/kg of oil
=[(11.6 × 84) + [{34.8 × (12 – 1/8)} + (4.35 × 3)]/100 kg/kg of oil
=14 kg of air/kg of oil

Step-2: Find the %Excess air supplied
Excess air supplied (EA) = (O2 × 100)/(21-O2)
= (7 × 100)/(21-7)
= 50%
Step-3: Find the Actual mass of air supplied
Actual mass of air supplied /kg of fuel = [ 1 + EA/100] x Theoritical Air
(AAS)
= [1 + 50/100] x 14
= 1.5 x 14
= 21 kg of air/kg of oil
Step-4: Estimation of all losses
i. Dry flue gas loss
m × Cp × (Tf – Ta ) × 100
Percentage heat loss due to dry flue gas =
GCV of fuel
m= mass of CO2 + mass of SO2 + mass of N2 + mass of O2

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0.84 × 44 0.03 ×64 21 ×77  23 

m= + + +  (21 −14) × 
12 32 100  100 
m= 21 kg / kg of oil
21 x 0.23 x (220 − 27)
Percentage heat loss due to dry flue gas = x 100 = 9.14 %
10200
Alternatively a simple method can be used for determining the dry flue gas loss as
given below.
m × Cp × (Tf – Ta ) × 100
a) Percentage heat loss due to dry flue gas =
GCV of fuel
Total mass of flue gas (m) = mass of actual air supplied + mass of fuel supplied
= 21 + 1 = 22
22 x 0.23 x (220 − 27)
%Dry flue gas loss = x 100 = 9.57%
10200
ii. Heat loss due to evaporation of water formed due to H2 in fuel
9 × H2 {584 + Cp (Tf – Ta)}× 100

=
GCV of fuel
Where, H2 - percentage of H2 in fuel
9 × 12 {584 + 0.45 (220 – 27)}× 100
=
10200
= 7.10%
iii. Heat loss due to moisture present in air
AAS × humidity × Cp × (Tf – Ta) × 100
=
GCV of fuel
21 x 0.018 x 0.45 x(220 − 27)
= x 100 = 0.322%
10200
iv. Heat loss due to radiation and other unaccounted losses

For a small boiler it is estimated to be 2%
Boiler Efficiency
i. Heat loss due to dry flue gas : 9.14%
ii. Heat loss due to evaporation of water formed due to H2 in fuel : 7.10 %
iii. Heat loss due to moisture present in air : 0.322 %
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iv. Heat loss due to radiation and other unaccounted loss : 2%

Boiler Efficiency
= 100- [9.14 + 7.10 + 0.322 + 2]
= 100 – 18.56 = 81 %(app)
Evaporation Ratio = Heat utilised for steam generation/Heat addition to the steam
= 10200 × 0.83/ (660-60)
= 14.11
Boiler Evaporation Ratio

Evaporation ratio means kilogram of steam generated per kilogram of fuel consumed.
Typical Examples: Coal fired boiler: 6
Oil fired boiler: 13
i.e 1 kg of coal can generate 6 kg of steam
1 kg of oil can generate 13 kg of steam
However, this figure will depend upon type of boiler, calorific value of the fuel and
associated efficiencies.
2.5 Boiler Blowdown

When water is boiled and steam is generated, any dissolved solids contained in the water remain
in the boiler. If more solids are put in with the feed water, they will concentrate and may even-
tually reach a level where their solubility in the water is exceeded and they deposit from the
solution. Above a certain level of concentration, these solids encourage foaming and cause car-
ryover of water into the steam. The deposits also lead to scale formation inside the boiler, result-
ing in localized overheating and finally causing boiler tube failure.
It is, therefore, necessary to control the level of concentration of the solids and this is
achieved by the process of ‘blowing down’, where a certain volume of water is blown off and
is automatically replaced by feed water – thus maintaining the optimum level of total dissolved
solids (TDS) in the boiler water. Blow down is necessary to protect the surfaces of the heat
exchanger in the boiler. However, blow down can be a significant source of heat loss,
if improperly carried out. The maximum amount of total dissolved solids (TDS) concentration
permissible in various types of boilers is given in Table 2.1.
TABLE 2.1 RECOMMENDED TDS LEVELS FOR VARIOUS BOILERS
Boiler Type Maximum TDS (ppm)*

1. Lancashire 10,000 ppm
2. Smoke and water tube boilers (12 kg/cm2) 5,000 ppm
3. Low pressure Water tube boiler 2000–3000
4. High Pressure Water tube boiler with superheater etc. 3,000–3,500 ppm
5. Package and economic boilers 3,000 ppm
6. Coil boilers and steam generators 2000 (in the feed water
Note: Refer guidelines specified by manufacturer for more details
*parts per million

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Conductivity as Indicator of Boiler Water Quality

Since it is tedious and time consuming to measure total dissolved solids (TDS) in boiler water
system, conductivity measurement is used for monitoring the overall TDS present in the boiler.
A rise in conductivity indicates a rise in the “contamination” of the boiler water.
Conventional methods for blowing down the boiler depend on two kinds of blowdown –
intermittent and continuous
Intermittent Blowdown
The intermittent blown down is given by manually operating a valve fitted to discharge pipe at
the lowest point of boiler shell to reduce parameters (TDS or conductivity, pH, Silica and
Phosphates concentration) within prescribed limits so that steam quality is not likely to be
affected. In intermittent blowdown, a large diameter line is opened for a short period of time,
the time being based on a thumb rule such as “once in a shift for 2 minutes”.
Intermittent blowdown requires large short-term increases in the amount of feed water put
into the boiler, and hence may necessitate larger feed water pumps than if continuous blow
down is used. Also, TDS level will be varying, thereby causing fluctuations of the water level
in the boiler due to changes in steam bubble size and distribution which accompany changes in
concentration of solids. Also substantial amount of heat energy is lost with intermittent
blowdown.
Continuous Blowdown
There is a steady and constant dispatch of small stream of concentrated boiler water, and
replacement by steady and constant inflow of feed water. This ensures constant TDS and steam
Figure 2.9 Blowdown Heat Recovery System
purity at given steam load. Once blow down valve is set for a given conditions, there is no need
for regular operator intervention.

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Even though large quantities of heat are wasted, opportunity exists for recovering this heat
by blowing into a flash tank and generating flash steam. This flash steam can be used for pre-
heating boiler feed water or for any other purpose (see Figure 2.9 for blow down heat recovery
system). This type of blow down is common in high-pressure boilers.
Blowdown calculations
The quantity of blowdown required to control boiler water solids concentration is calculated by
using the following formula:
Blow down (%) = Feed water TDS × % Make up water
Maximum Permissible TDS in Boiler water
If maximum permissible limit of TDS as in a package boiler is 3000 ppm, percentage make
up water is 10% and TDS in feed water is 300 ppm, then the percentage blow down is given as:
= 300 x 10/ 3000
= 1%
If boiler evaporation rate is 3000 kg/hr then required blow down rate is:
3000 x 1
100
= 30 kg/hr
Benefits of Blowdown
Good boiler blow down control can significantly reduce treatment and operational costs that
include:
– Lower pretreatment costs
– Less make-up water consumption
– Reduced maintenance downtime
– Increased boiler life
– Lower consumption of treatment chemicals
2.6 Boiler Water Treatment

Producing quality steam on demand depends on properly managed water treatment to control
steam purity, deposits and corrosion. A boiler is the sump of the boiler system. It ultimately
receives all of the pre-boiler contaminants. Boiler performance, efficiency, and service life are
direct products of selecting and controlling feed water used in the boiler.
When feed water enters the boiler, the elevated temperatures and pressures cause the
components of water to behave differently. Most of the components in the feed water are
soluble. However, under heat and pressure most of the soluble components come out of

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solution as particulate solids, sometimes in crystallized forms and other times as amorphous
particles. When solubility of a specific component in water is exceeded, scale or deposits
develop. The boiler water must be sufficiently free of deposit forming solids to allow rapid and
efficient heat transfer and it must not be corrosive to the boiler metal.
Deposit Control
Deposits in boilers may result from hardness contamination of feed water and corrosion
products from the condensate and feed water system. Hardness contamination of the feed water
may arise due to deficient softener system.
Deposits and corrosion result in efficiency losses and may result in boiler tube failures and
inability to produce steam. Deposits act as insulators and slows heat transfer. Large amounts of
deposits throughout the boiler could reduce the heat transfer enough to reduce the boiler effi-
ciency significantly. Different type of deposits affects the boiler efficiency differently. Thus it
may be useful to analyse the deposits for its characteristics. The insulating effect of deposits
causes the boiler metal temperature to rise and may lead to tube-failure by overheating.
Impurities Causing Deposits
The most important chemicals contained in water that influences the formation of deposits in
the boilers are the salts of calcium and magnesium, which are known as hardness salts.
Calcium and magnesium bicarbonate dissolve in water to form an alkaline solution and
these salts are known as alkaline hardness. They decompose upon heating, releasing carbon
dioxide and forming a soft sludge, which settles out. These are called temporary hardness-hard-
ness that can be removed by boiling.
Calcium and magnesium sulphates, chlorides and nitrates, etc. when dissolved in water are
chemically neutral and are known as non-alkaline hardness. These are called permanent hard-
ness and form hard scales on boiler surfaces, which are difficult to remove. Non-alkalinity hard-
ness chemicals fall out the solution due to reduction in solubility as the temperature rises, by
concentration due to evaporation which takes place within the boiler, or by chemical change to
a less soluble compound.
Silica
The presence of silica in boiler water can rise to formation of hard silicate scales. It can also
associate with calcium and magnesium salts, forming calcium and magnesium silicates of very
low thermal conductivity. Silica can give rise to deposits on steam turbine blades, after been
carried over either in droplets of water in steam, or in volatile form in steam at higher pressures.
Two major types of boiler water treatment are: Internal water treatment and External water
treatment.
Internal Water Treatment
Internal treatment is carried out by adding chemicals to boiler to prevent the formation of scale
by converting the scale-forming compounds to free-flowing sludges, which can be removed by
blowdown. This method is limited to boilers, where feed water is low in hardness salts, to low
pressures- high TDS content in boiler water is tolerated, and when only small quantity of water
is required to be treated. If these conditions are not applied, then high rates of blowdown are

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required to dispose off the sludge. They become uneconomical from heat and water loss con-
sideration.
Different waters require different chemicals. Sodium carbonate, sodium aluminate, sodium
phosphate, sodium sulphite and compounds of vegetable or inorganic origin are all used for this
purpose. Proprietary chemicals are available to suit various water conditions. The specialist
must be consulted to determine the most suitable chemicals to use in each case. Internal treat-
ment alone is not recommended.
External Water Treatment
External treatment is used to remove suspended solids, dissolved solids (particularly the
calcium and magnesium ions which are a major cause of scale formation) and dissolved gases
(oxygen and carbon dioxide).
The external treatment processes available are: ion exchange; demineralization; reverse
osmosis and de-aeration. Before any of these are used, it is necessary to remove suspended
solids and colour from the raw water, because these may foul the resins used in the subsequent
treatment sections.
Methods of pre-treatment include simple sedimentation in settling tanks or settling in
clarifiers with aid of coagulants and flocculants. Pressure sand filters, with spray aeration to
remove carbon dioxide and iron, may be used to remove metal salts from bore well water.
The first stage of treatment is to remove hardness salt and possibly non-hardness salts.
Removal of only hardness salts is called softening, while total removal of salts from solution is
called demineralization.
The processes are:
Ion-exchange process (Softener Plant)

In ion-exchange process, the hardness is
Softening reaction:
removed as the water passes through bed of
natural zeolite or synthetic resin and without Na2R + Ca(HCO3)2 « CaR + 2 Na(HCO3)
the formation of any precipitate. The simplest
type is ‘base exchange’ in which calcium and Regeneration reaction
magnesium ions are exchanged for sodium CaR + 2 NaCl « Na2R + CaCl2
ions. After saturation regeneration is done with
sodium chloride. The sodium salts being soluble, do not form scales in boilers. Since base
exchanger only replaces the calcium and magnesium with sodium, it does not reduce the TDS
content, and blowdown quantity. It also does not reduce the alkalinity.
Demineralization is the complete removal of all salts. This is achieved by using a “cation”
resin, which exchanges the cations in the raw water with hydrogen ions, producing
hydrochloric, sulphuric and carbonic acid. Carbonic acid is removed in degassing tower in
which air is blown through the acid water. Following this, the water passes through an “anion”
resin which exchanges anions with the mineral acid (e.g. sulphuric acid) and forms water.
Regeneration of cations and anions is necessary at intervals using, typically, mineral acid and
caustic soda respectively. The complete removal of silica can be achieved by correct choice of
anion resin.

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2. Boilers
Ion exchange processes can be used for almost total demineralization if required, as is the
case in large electric power plant boilers
De-aeration
In de-aeration, dissolved gases, such as oxygen
and carbon dioxide, are expelled by preheating
the feed water before it enters the boiler.
All natural waters contain dissolved gases in
solution. Certain gases, such as carbon dioxide
and oxygen, greatly increase corrosion. When
heated in boiler systems, carbon dioxide (CO2)
and oxygen (O2) are released as gases and com-
bine with water (H2O) to form carbonic acid,
(H2CO3).
Removal of oxygen, carbon dioxide and
other non-condensable gases from boiler feed-
water is vital to boiler equipment longevity as
well as safety of operation. Carbonic acid cor-
rodes metal reducing the life of equipment and Figure 2.10 Deaerator
piping. It also dissolves iron (Fe) which when returned to the boiler precipitates and causes
scaling on the boiler and tubes. This scale not only contributes to reducing the life of the equip-
ment but also increases the amount of energy needed to achieve heat transfer.
De-aeration can be done by mechanical de-aeration, by chemical de-deration or by both
together.
Mechanical de-aeration
Mechanical de-aeration for the removal of these dissolved gases is typically utilized prior to the
addition of chemical oxygen scavengers. Mechanical de-aeration is based on Charles’ and
Henry’s laws of physics. Simplified, these laws state that removal of oxygen and carbon dioxide
can be accomplished by heating the boiler feed water, which reduces the concentration of oxy-
gen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere surrounding the feed water. Mechanical de-aeration
can be the most economical. They operate at the boiling point of water at the pressure in the de-
aerator. They can be of vacuum or pressure type.
The vacuum type of de-aerator operates below atmospheric pressure, at about 82 °C, can
reduce the oxygen content in water to less than 0.02 mg/litre. Vacuum pumps or steam ejectors
are required to maintain the vacuum.
The pressure-type de-aerators operates by allowing steam into the feed water through a
pressure control valve to maintain the desired operating pressure, and hence temperature at a
minimum of
105 °C. The steam raises the water temperature causing the release of O2 and CO2 gases that
are then vented from the system. This type can reduce the oxygen content to 0.005 mg/litre.
Where excess low-pressure steam is available, the operating pressure can be selected to
make use of this steam and hence improve fuel economy. In boiler systems, steam is preferred

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2. Boilers
for de-aeration because:

– Steam is essentially free from O2 and CO2,
– Steam is readily available
– Steam adds the heat required to complete the reaction.
Chemical de-Aeration
While the most efficient mechanical deaerators reduce oxygen to very low levels
(0.005 mg/litre), even trace amounts of oxygen may cause corrosion damage to a system.
Consequently, good operating practice requires removal of that trace oxygen with a chemical
oxygen scavenger such as sodium sulfite or hydrazine. Sodium sulphite reacts with oxygen to
form sodium sulphate, which increases the TDS in the boiler water and hence increases the
blowdown requirements and make-up water quality. Hydrazine reacts with oxygen to form
nitrogen and water. It is invariably used in high pressures boilers when low boiler water solids
are necessary, as it does not increase the TDS of the boiler water.
Reverse Osmosis
Reverse osmosis uses the fact that when solutions of differing concentrations are separated by a
semi-permeable membrane, water from less concentrated solution passes through the membrane
to dilute the liquid of high concentration. If the solution of high concentration is pressurized, the
process is reversed and the water from the solution of high concentration flows to the weaker solu-
tion. This is known as reverse osmosis. The quality of water produced depends upon the concen-
tration of the solution on the high-pressure side and pressure differential ascross the membrane.
This process is suitable for waters with very high TDS, such as sea water.
The semipermeable nature

of the membrane allows the
water to pass much more readi-
ly than the dissolved minerals.
Since the water in the less con-
centrated solution seeks to
dilute the more concentrated
solution, the water passage
through the membrane
generates a noticeable head
difference between the two
solutions. This head difference
is a measure of the concentra-
tion difference of the two solu-
tions and is referred to as the
osmotic pressure difference.

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2. Boilers
When a pressure is applied to

the concentrated solution
which is great that the osmotic
pressure difference, the
direction of water passage
through the membrane is
reversed and the process that
we refer to as reverse osmosis
is established. That is, the
membrane's ability to
selectively pass water is
unchanged, only the direction
of the water flow is changed.
The feed water and concentrate

(reject stream) ports illustrates
a continuously operating RO
system.
Figure 2.11 Reverse Osmosis
Recommended boiler and feed water quality

The impurities found in boiler water depend on the untreated feed water quality, the treatment
process used and the boiler operating procedures. As a general rule, the higher the boiler oper-
ating pressure, the greater will be the sensitivity to impurities. Recommended feed water and
boiler water limits are shown in Table 2.2 and Table 2.3.

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2. Boilers
TABLE 2.2 RECOMMENDED FEED WATER LIMITS
Factor Upto 20 kg/cm2 21 – 39 kg/cm2 41 – 59 kg/cm2

Total iron (max) ppm 0.05 0.02 0.01
Total copper (max) ppm 0.01 0.01 0.01
Total silica (max) ppm 1.0 0.3 0.1
Oxygen (max) ppm 0.02 0.02 0.01
Hydrazine residual ppm – – -0.02-0.04
pH at 25°C 8.8-9.2 8.8-9.2 8.2-9.2
Hardness, ppm 1.0 0.5 –
TABLE 2.3 RECOMMENDED BOILER WATER LIMITS

(IS 10392, YEAR 1982)
Factor Upto 20 kg/cm2 21 – 39 kg/cm2 40 – 59 kg/cm2

TDS, ppm 3000–3500 1500–2500 500–1500
Total iron dissolved solids ppm 500 200 150
Specific electrical conductivity 1000 400 300
at 25°C (mho)
Phosphate residual ppm 20-40 20-40 15-25
pH at 25°C 10–10.5 10–10.5 9.8–10.2
Silica (max) ppm 25 15 10
2.7 Energy Conservation Opportunities

The various energy efficiency opportunities in boiler system can be related to combustion, heat
transfer, avoidable losses, high auxiliary power consumption, water quality and blowdown.
Examining the following factors can indicate if a boiler is being run to maximize its
efficiency:
1. Stack Temperature
The stack temperature should be as low as possible. However, it should not be so low that water
vapor in the exhaust condenses on the stack walls. This is important in fuels containing signfi-
cant sulphur as low temperature can lead to sulphur dew point corrosion. Stack temperatures
greater than 200°C indicates potential for recovery of waste heat. It also indicate the scaling of
heat transfer/recovery equipment and hence the urgency of taking an early shut down for water
/ flue side cleaning.
2. Feed Water Preheating using Economiser

Typically, the flue gases leaving a modern 3-pass shell boiler are at temperatures of 200 to
300 °C. Thus, there is a potential to recover heat from these gases. The flue gas exit tempera-

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2. Boilers
ture from a boiler is usually maintained at a minimum of 200 °C, so that the sulphur oxides in
the flue gas do not condense and cause corrosion in heat transfer surfaces. When a clean fuel
such as natural gas, LPG or gas oil is used, the economy of heat recovery must be worked out,
as the flue gas temperature may be well below 200 °C.
The potential for energy saving depends on the type of boiler installed and the fuel used.
For a typically older model shell boiler, with a flue gas exit temperature of 260 °C, an
economizer could be used to reduce it to 200 °C, increasing the feed water temperature by
15 °C. Increase in overall thermal efficiency would be in the order of 3%. For a modern 3-pass
shell boiler firing natural gas with a flue gas exit temperature of 140 °C a condensing
economizer would reduce the exit temperature to 65 °C increasing thermal efficiency by 5%.
3. Combustion Air Preheat

Combustion air preheating is an alternative to feedwater heating. In order to improve thermal
efficiency by 1%, the combustion air temperature must be raised by 20 °C. Most gas and oil
burners used in a boiler plant are not designed for high air preheat temperatures.
Modern burners can withstand much higher combustion air preheat, so it is possible to con-
sider such units as heat exchangers in the exit flue as an alternative to an economizer, when
either space or a high feed water return temperature make it viable.
4. Incomplete Combustion
Incomplete combustion can arise from a shortage of air or surplus of fuel or poor
distribution of fuel. It is usually obvious from the colour or smoke, and must be corrected
immediately.
In the case of oil and gas fired systems, CO or smoke (for oil fired systems only) with
normal or high excess air indicates burner system problems. A more frequent cause of incom-
plete combustion is the poor mixing of fuel and air at the burner. Poor oil fires can result from
improper viscosity, worn tips, carbonization on tips and deterioration of diffusers or spinner
plates.
With coal firing, unburned carbon can comprise a big loss. It occurs as grit carry-over or
carbon-in-ash and may amount to more than 2% of the heat supplied to the boiler. Non uniform
fuel size could be one of the reasons for incomplete combustion. In chain grate stokers, large
lumps will not burn out completely, while small pieces and fines may block the air passage, thus
causing poor air distribution. In sprinkler stokers, stoker grate condition, fuel distributors, wind
box air regulation and over-fire systems can affect carbon loss. Increase in the fines in
pulverized coal also increases carbon loss.
5. Excess Air Control

The Table 2.4 gives the theoretical amount of air required for combustion of various types of fuel.
Excess air is required in all practical cases to ensure complete combustion, to allow for the
normal variations in combustion and to ensure satisfactory stack conditions for some fuels.
The optimum excess air level for maximum boiler efficiency occurs when the sum of the loss-
es due to incomplete combustion and loss due to heat in flue gases is minimum. This level
varies with furnace design, type of burner, fuel and process variables. It can be determined by
conducting tests with different air fuel ratios.

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2. Boilers
TABLE 2.4 THEORETICAL COMBUSTION DATA – COMMON BOILER FUELS
Fuel kg of air kg of flue m3 of Theoretical CO2% in flue

req./kg of gas/kg flue/kg CO2% in gas achieved
fuel of fuel of fuel dry flue gas in practice
Solid Fuels
Bagasse 3.2 3.43 2.61 20.65 10–12
Coal (bituminous) 10.8 11.7 9.40 18.70 10–13
Lignite 8.4 9.10 6.97 19.40 9–13
Paddy Husk 4.6 5.63 4.58 19.8 14–15
Wood 5.8 6.4 4.79 20.3 11.13
Liquid Fuels
Furnace Oil 13.90 14.30 11.50 15.0 9–14
LSHS 14.04 14.63 10.79 15.5 9–14
Typical values of excess air supplied for various fuels are given in Table – 2.5.
TABLE 2.5 EXCESS AIR LEVELS FOR DIFFERENT FUELS
Fuel Type of Furnace or Burners Excess Air (% by wt)

Pulverised coal Completely water-cooled furnace for slag-tap or dry-ash removal 15–20
Partially water-cooled furnace for dry-ash removal 15–40
Coal Spreader stoker 30–60
Water-cooler vibrating-grate stokers 30–60
Chain-grate and traveling-gate stokers 15–50
Underfeed stoker 20–50
Fuel oil Oil burners, register type 15–20
Multi-fuel burners and flat-flame 20–30
Natural gas High pressure burner 5–7
Wood Dutch over (10–23% through grates) and Hofft type 20–25
Bagasse All furnaces 25–35
Black liquor Recovery furnaces for draft and soda-pulping processes 30–40
Controlling excess air to an optimum level always results in reduction in flue gas losses; for
every 1% reduction in excess air there is approximately 0.6% rise in efficiency.
Various methods are available to control the excess air:
• Portable oxygen analysers and draft gauges can be used to make periodic readings to guide
the operator to manually adjust the flow of air for optimum operation. Excess air reduction
up to 20% is feasible.

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2. Boilers
• The most common method is the continuous oxygen analyzer with a local readout mounted
draft gauge, by which the operator can adjust air flow. A further reduction of 10–15% can
be achieved over the previous system.
• The same continuous oxygen analyzer can have a remote controlled pneumatic damper
positioner, by which the readouts are available in a control room. This enables an operator
to remotely control a number of firing systems simultaneously.
The most sophisticated system is the automatic stack damper control, whose cost is really
justified only for large systems.
6. Radiation and Convection Heat Loss
The external surfaces of a shell boiler are hotter than the surroundings. The surfaces thus lose
heat to the surroundings depending on the surface area and the difference in temperature
between the surface and the surroundings.
The heat loss from the boiler shell is normally a fixed energy loss, irrespective of the boil-
er output. With modern boiler designs, this may represent only 1.5% on the gross calorific
value at full rating, but will increase to around 6%, if the boiler operates at only 25 percent
output.
Repairing or augmenting insulation can reduce heat loss through boiler walls and piping.
7. Automatic Blowdown Control
Uncontrolled continuous blowdown is very wasteful. Automatic blowdown controls can be
installed that sense and respond to boiler water conductivity and pH. A 10% blow down in a 15
kg/cm2 boiler results in 3% efficiency loss.
8. Reduction of Scaling and Soot Losses
In oil and coal-fired boilers, soot buildup on tubes acts as an insulator against heat transfer. Any
such deposits should be removed on a regular basis. Elevated stack temperatures may indicate
excessive soot buildup. Also same result will occur due to scaling on the water side.
High exit gas temperatures at normal excess air indicate poor heat transfer performance.
This condition can result from a gradual build-up of gas-side or waterside deposits. Waterside
deposits require a review of water treatment procedures and tube cleaning to remove deposits.
An estimated 1% efficiency loss occurs with every 22 °C increase in stack temperature.
Stack temperature should be checked and recorded regularly as an indicator of soot
deposits. When the flue gas temperature rises about 20 °C above the temperature for a newly
cleaned boiler, it is time to remove the soot deposits. It is, therefore, recommended to install a
dial type thermometer at the base of the stack to monitor the exhaust flue gas temperature.
It is estimated that 3 mm of soot can cause an increase in fuel consumption by 2.5% due to
increased flue gas temperatures. Periodic off-line cleaning of radiant furnace surfaces, boiler
tube banks, economizers and air heaters may be necessary to remove stubborn deposits.
9. Reduction of Boiler Steam Pressure
This is an effective means of reducing fuel consumption, if permissible, by as much as 1 to 2%.
Lower steam pressure gives a lower saturated steam temperature and without stack heat
recovery, a similar reduction in the temperature of the flue gas temperature results.

Ch-02.qxd 2/23/2005 11:21 AM Page 51
2. Boilers
Steam is generated at pressures normally dictated by the highest pressure / temperature

requirements for a particular process. In some cases, the process does not operate all the time, and
there are periods when the boiler pressure could be reduced. The energy manager should consider
pressure reduction carefully, before recommending it. Adverse effects, such as an increase in water
carryover from the boiler owing to pressure reduction, may negate any potential saving. Pressure
should be reduced in stages, and no more than a 20 percent reduction should be considered.
10. Variable Speed Control for Fans, Blowers and Pumps
Variable speed control is an important means of achieving energy savings. Generally, combus-
tion air control is effected by throttling dampers fitted at forced and induced draft fans. Though
dampers are simple means of control, they lack accuracy, giving poor control characteristics at
the top and bottom of the operating range. In general, if the load characteristic of the boiler is
variable, the possibility of replacing the dampers by a VSD should be evaluated.
11. Effect of Boiler Loading on Efficiency
The maximum efficiency of the boiler does not occur at full load, but at about two-thirds of the
full load. If the load on the boiler decreases further, efficiency also tends to decrease. At zero
output, the efficiency of the boiler is zero, and any fuel fired is used only to supply the losses.
The factors affecting boiler efficiency are:
• As the load falls, so does the value of the mass flow rate of the flue gases through the tubes.
This reduction in flow rate for the same heat transfer area, reduced the exit flue gas tem-
peratures by a small extent, reducing the sensible heat loss.
• Below half load, most combustion appliances need more excess air to burn the fuel
completely. This increases the sensible heat loss
In general, efficiency of the boiler reduces significantly below 25% of the rated load and as
far as possible, operation of boilers below this level should be avoided
12. Proper Boiler Scheduling
Since, the optimum efficiency of boilers occurs at 65–85% of full load, it is usually more
efficient, on the whole, to operate a fewer number of boilers at higher loads, than to operate a
large number at low loads.
13. Boiler Replacement
The potential savings from replacing a boiler depend on the anticipated change in overall
efficiency. A change in a boiler can be financially attractive if the existing boiler is :
old and inefficient
not capable of firing cheaper substitution fuel
over or under-sized for present requirements
not designed for ideal loading conditions
The feasibility study should examine all implications of long-term fuel availability and
company growth plans. All financial and engineering factors should be considered. Since boiler
plants traditionally have a useful life of well over 25 years, replacement must be carefully studied.

Ch-02.qxd 2/23/2005 11:21 AM Page 52
2. Boilers
2.8 Case Study

Installing Boiler Economiser
A paper mill retrofitted an economiser to existing boiler. The general specification of the boiler
is given below:
Boiler Capacity (T/h) Feed Water Temp (°C) Steam Pressure (bar) Fuel oil
8 110 18 Furnace oil
The thermal efficiency of the boiler was measured and calculated by the indirect method
using flue gases analyser and data logger. The result is summarised below:
Thermal efficiency : 81%
Flue gas temperature : 315°C
CO2% : 13
CO (ppm) : 167
The temperature in the flue gas is in the range of 315 to 320 °C. The waste heat in the flue gas
is recovered by installing an economizer, which transfers waste heat from the flue gases to the
boiler feed water. This resulted in a rise in feed water temperature by about 26 °C.
Basic Data
• Average quantity of steam generated ..... : 5 T/hr

• Average flue gas temperature ................ : 315 °C
• Average steam generation / kg of fuel oil : 14 kg
• Feed water inlet temperature ................. : 110 °C
• Fuel oil supply rate................................ : 314 kg/hr
• Flue gas quantity ................................... : 17.4 kg/kg of fuel
Cost Economics
• Quantity of flue gases ............................. : 314 × 17.4 = 5463.6 kg/h

• Quantity of heat available in the : 5463.6 × 0.23 × (315-200) = 144512 kCal/h
flue gases
• Rise in the feed water temperature ........... : 26 °C.
• Heat required for pre-heating the : 5000 × 1 × 26 = 130000 kCal/h
feed water
• Saving in terms of furnace oil .....................: 130000/10000 = 13 kg/h
• Annual operating hours ........................... : 8600
• Annual savings of fuel oil ......................... : 8600 × 13 = 111800 kg

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2. Boilers
Conclusion
Through recovery of waste heat by installation of an economizer, the paper mill was able to
save 13 kg/hr. of furnace oil, which amounts to about 1,11,800 kg of furnace oil per annum.
QUESTIONS
1. What is the importance of draft in boilers?
2. What is a balanced draft system?
3. Which is the single major heat loss in boiler?
4. Explain the principle of modulating control in a boiler?
5. Explain the principle of fire tube and water tube boilers?
6. Explain the principles of fluidized bed combustion and pulverized fuel combustion?
7. Name three factors affecting the boiler efficiency and explain briefly?
8. Discuss the various types of draft in boiler system?
9. What do you understand by terminology fire tube and water tube in boiler?
10. Discuss the various types of heat losses in a boiler?
11. How do you measure boiler efficiency using direct method?
12. What do you understand by term evaporation ratio? What are the typical values for
coal and oil-fired boiler?
13. What do you understand by the term ‘Turn Down Ratio’ ?
14. What are the methods available for assessing the boiler efficiency and explain
briefly?
15. How do you assess boiler blow down requirement?
16. Discuss automatic blow down control system?
17. Why blow down is given in boiler?
18. What is the function of de-aerator in boiler?
19. What is the difference between an economizer and an air pre heater?
20. List the 5 energy conservation measures in improving the boiler efficiency without
investment.
21. What is intermittent and continuous blow down?
22. Why is sulphur in coal undesirable?
23. Is moisture in coal wasteful?
24. What is atomisation of fuel oil in combustion?
25. What are the causes for heavy black smoke in a boiler?

Ch-02.qxd 2/23/2005 11:21 AM Page 54
2. Boilers
26. 1 kg of water at 25°C is converted in to steam at atmospheric condition. What is the

value of sensible heat and latent heat added to the steam?
27. For boiler at 8 kg/cm2 (g) steam pressure. The following details are given
Saturation temperature of steam = 170°C
Sensible heat of water = 171 kCal/kg
Latent heat of evaporation = 490 kCal/kg
Moisture content in the steam = 4%
What is the total heat content of the steam?
28. The following are the ultimate analysis for coal: Calculate the stoichiometric air
requirement.
Carbon-38%, Ash-35%, Hydrogen-5% , Sulphur-2%.
For the same data, calculate the theoretical CO2.
If the actual measured CO2 is 8%, find out the excess air levels?
29. A packaged boiler is operating at 5% O2. Find out the excess air level?
30. In a furnace oil fired boiler, the evaporation ratio (kg of steam generated / kg of fur-
nace oil) was found to be 20 against a best possible limit of 13. (a) in your opinion
what could be the reasons for the same? (b) would you like to recommend the user
to maintain the same practice and conditions as the evaporation ratio is more than the
feasible limit?
REFERENCES
1. Steam Boiler Room Questions & Answers, Third Edition by Stephen M.Elonka and
Alex Higgins
2. Steam Boiler Operation by James J.Jackson, Prentice-Hall Inc, New Jersey, 1980.
3. Boilers by Carl D. Shields, McGraw Hill Book Company, U.S, 1961.
4. Industrial Heat Generation and Distribution -NIFES Training Manual Issued For CEC –
India Energy Bus Project
5. Practical Boiler Water Treatment by Leo.I.Pincus, McGraw Hill Inc, New York, 1962.
6. Technical Papers, Boiler Congress-2000 Seminar, 11 & 12 January 2000
7. Industrial Boilers by David Gunn and Robert Horton, Longman Scientific & Technical,
New York
8. Steam Generation, Distribution and Utilisation by TERI, GTZ and EMC
9. Efficient Operation of Boilers by National Productivity Council
www.eren.doe.gov
www.oit.doe.gov/bestpractices
www.pcra.org
www.energy-efficiency.gov.uk
www.actionenergy.org.uk
www.cia.org.uk
www.altenergy.com

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Ch-02.

qxd 2/23/2005 11:21 AM Page 27

Indian Boiler Regulation

Bureau of Energy Efficiency 27

2.2 Boiler Systems

Figure 2.1 Boiler Room Schematic

Bureau of Energy Efficiency 28

2.3 Boiler Types and Classifications

Water tube or “water in tube” boilers in which

Figure 2.3 Water Tube Boiler

Packaged Boiler: The packaged boiler is so

Bureau of Energy Efficiency 29

The features of package boilers are:

Stoker Fired Boiler:

Chain-Grate or Traveling-Grate Stoker Boiler

Figure 2.5 Chain Grate Stoker

Bureau of Energy Efficiency 30

Spreader Stoker Boiler

Figure 2.6 Spreader Stoker

Bureau of Energy Efficiency 31

at temperatures from 1300-1700°C,

Bureau of Energy Efficiency 32

2.4 Performance Evaluation of Boilers

Boiler Efficiency Evaluation

Direct Method Indirect Method

Bureau of Energy Efficiency 33

Where, hg – Enthalpy of saturated steam in kCal/kg of steam

8 × (665 − 85) ×1000

Advantages of direct method:

Plant people can evaluate quickly the efficiency of boilers

Disadvantages of direct method:

Bureau of Energy Efficiency 34

Theoretical air requirement

Actual mass of air supplied/ kg of fuel (AAS) = {1 + EA/100} × theoretical air

Bureau of Energy Efficiency 35

iii. Percentage heat loss due to evaporation of moisture present in fuel

Where, M – kg of moisture in 1kg of fuel

iv. Percentage heat loss due to moisture present in air

Cp – Specific heat of superheated steam (0.45 kCal/kg °C)

v. Percentage heat loss due to unburnt in fly ash

vi. Percentage heat loss due to unburnt in bottom ash

Total ash collected / kg of fuel burnt × G.C.V of bottom ash

Efficiency of boiler (η) = 100 - (i + ii + iii + iv + v + vi + vii)

Bureau of Energy Efficiency 36

• Ultimate analysis of Oil

= [(11.6 × C) + {34.8 × ( H 2 − O2 / 8)} +(4.35 × S)] /100 kg/kg of oil

=[(11.6 × 84) + [{34.8 × (12 – 1/8)} + (4.35 × 3)]/100 kg/kg of oil

=14 kg of air/kg of oil

m= mass of CO2 + mass of SO2 + mass of N2 + mass of O2

Bureau of Energy Efficiency 37

0.84 × 44 0.03 ×64 21 ×77  23 

9 × H2 {584 + Cp (Tf – Ta)}× 100

iv. Heat loss due to radiation and other unaccounted losses

iv. Heat loss due to radiation and other unaccounted loss : 2%

Boiler Evaporation Ratio

2.5 Boiler Blowdown

Boiler Type Maximum TDS (ppm)*

Bureau of Energy Efficiency 39

Conductivity as Indicator of Boiler Water Quality

Figure 2.9 Blowdown Heat Recovery System

Bureau of Energy Efficiency 40

Maximum Permissible TDS in Boiler water